D2C

The resources brand builders actually use.

Every guide, video, podcast, report and tool behind 482 answered questions on building a direct-to-consumer brand, in one place, each with a note on why it is here.

What founders use most, ranked by how many answers lean on it.

  1. The clearest breakdown of the four GST components and how input credit flows between them, foundational reading before you look... ClearTax Article Types of GST: What is SGST, CGST, IGST and UTGST? ClearTax
  2. A tight side-by-side of interstate vs intrastate supply with rate examples, the fastest way to sanity-check whether an order... ClearTax Article Interstate and Intrastate GST: Meaning, Rate, Examples, Differences ClearTax
  3. Written from an accounting-software lens, it shows how place of supply is configured on real invoices, handy if you'll run... Zoho Books Article GST | Place of Supply Zoho Books (Zoho Finance)
  4. Explains TCS under Section 52, what the marketplace deducts, how it hits your ledger and how you reclaim it, so the payout... ClearTax Article GST Registration for Ecommerce Collecting TCS under GST ClearTax
  5. Goes deeper than the usual 'yes you need a GSTIN per state' answer, citing an AAR ruling to show it's genuinely case-by-case,... CAclubindia Article Whether separate GST Registration is required for a warehouse? CAclubindia
  6. A free search tool where you type your product name and get the HSN code and its GST rate instantly, the quickest way to... ClearTax Tool Free HSN Code List & GST Rate Finder ClearTax
  7. Keeps the e-invoicing turnover threshold and its proposed reductions in one current place, the number that decides whether you... Tally Solutions Article Understanding the Current E-Invoicing Turnover Limit in India Tally Solutions
  8. Written for e-commerce shippers rather than accountants, it explains the Rs 50,000 e-way bill trigger, validity and who... Shiprocket Article What Is an E-way Bill & How to Download It? Shiprocket Fulfillment
  9. The official portal where e-way bills are generated and verified, the place to go when you ship high-value consignments... E-Way Bill Portal (ewaybillgst.gov.in) Tool E-Way Bill System, Official Portal National Informatics Centre (NIC) / GSTN
  10. For a D2C brand, ad spend is often the biggest cost, this explains the 18% GST on advertising and how to claim it back as input... Razorpay Article GST on Advertising: Rules, Tax Rates & Input Tax Credit Razorpay Learn
  11. Shows the practical loop of pulling marketplace sales reports and reconciling them into your GST returns, including matching... ClearTax Article GST Return Filing for e-Commerce Sellers ClearTax
  12. Breaks down real air vs sea cost ranges on the China-India lane and, critically, tells you to check for an in-house customs... smartbuy.alibaba.com Article How to Choose the Best Freight Forwarder China to India: A Complete Guide Alibaba
  13. The clearest plain-language breakdown of the one document you cannot import without, what IEC actually unlocks and how to get one. cashfree.com Article What is an Import Export Code (IEC)? Registration, Documents, Fees & Benefits Cashfree Payments
  14. A logistics provider's practical view of IEC, useful because it connects the registration step directly to what happens at... shiprocket.in Article Import Export Code: Benefits, How to Apply & More Shiprocket X
  15. This is the fastest sanity check before you pay any creator - HypeAuditor's ML model flags bot followers and engagement pods... hypeauditor.com Tool Instagram Fake Follower Checker HypeAuditor
  16. Moves past 'likes and reach' into the actual attribution stack - promo codes, UTMs, multi-touch models and a real ROI formula -... improvado.io Article How to Measure Influencer Marketing ROI in 2026 Improvado
  17. The most usable commission-rate reference out there - real industry benchmarks (5-15% for physical goods, higher for digital)... referralcandy.com Article Affiliate Commission Rates by Industry (Data + Templates) ReferralCandy
  18. The most complete beginner-to-intermediate book on turning influencer relationships into a real marketing function - how to... amazon.com Book The Age of Influence: The Power of Influencers to Elevate Your Brand Neal Schaffer
  19. Grynow leans into story-driven, trust-building creator content over one-off product placements - useful if your category... grynow.in Tool Grynow - Influencer Marketing Agency & Platform Grynow
  20. Qoruz itself is one of the better analytics-first platforms in India, and this roundup - written from inside the industry... qoruz.com Article Top 10 Influencer Marketing Platforms in India Qoruz
  21. vCommission runs affiliate programs for Indian D2C names like Swiss Beauty and Giva, so this isn't theory - it's the... vcommission.com Article How to Structure Your D2C Affiliate Program: Commission Models That Convert vCommission
  22. Mamaearth's entire early growth engine was mom bloggers and micro beauty/skincare creators doing unscripted, honest reviews -... jobaaj.com Article Mamaearth's Influencer Network Success: A Case Study on Brand Growth Jobaaj
  23. India's largest influencer marketplace (750K+ creators) explaining, in its own words, how it structures seeding and UGC... Kofluence Article Influencer Marketing For D2C (Direct To Consumer) Business Kofluence
  24. Built specifically for Indian D2C and ecommerce brands that want ad-ready UGC fast without managing the creator relationship... MakeUGC Tool MakeUGC - India's Performance-First UGC Ad Platform MakeUGC

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Playbooks

A goal, and the route through it a step at a time.

Pick what to sell Choose a category you can win and a product people actually want. 4 steps Launch your D2C brand From a product idea to your first orders: pick what to sell, make it, put up a store, and open the doors. 6 steps Find a manufacturer in India Find a factory, sample it, and place a first order you can trust. 4 steps Develop and package your product Turn a sample into a product, packaging, and a cost you can price around. 4 steps Build your online store A store that looks real, loads fast, and takes payments and COD. 4 steps Turn store traffic into orders Fix the leaks: conversion, product pages, and the right apps. 3 steps Get GST-ready and compliant Register, get GST-ready across states, and clear the licenses you need to sell. 4 steps Protect your brand and IP Trademark your name, fight counterfeits, and handle customer data right. 3 steps Build a prelaunch audience Gather an audience that's ready to buy before you open the doors. 4 steps Get your first 100 orders The scrappy, unscalable work of going from zero to a hundred paying customers. 5 steps Grow with influencers and UGC Seed creators, run UGC, and turn affiliates into a channel. 3 steps Run profitable ads Meta, Google, and creatives that actually return, and scale without breaking your numbers. 6 steps Grow organically with SEO and content Compound free traffic with SEO, content, and earned press. 3 steps Retain and bring buyers back Email, WhatsApp, and loyalty that turn one order into many. 4 steps Make money on every order Know your costs, price for value, and make sure the unit economics actually work. 5 steps Sell everywhere Amazon, quick commerce, ONDC, and offline retail: win every shelf, not just your own. 5 steps Master fulfillment and CX Inventory, shipping, returns, and support that create repeat buyers, not tickets. 5 steps Go global, cross-border Where to sell abroad first, and how to ship and get paid across borders. 5 steps Raise funding for your brand Know your numbers, weigh the options, and find the right investors and grants. 4 steps Scale past 1 crore What breaks at each level, the operations to hold it together, and the money to fund the next. 5 steps

The questions brand builders start with

I want to build a D2C brand but I haven't picked a product yet. How do I actually decide what to sell? Don't start from 'what's trending', start from the overlap of a real, repeat problem you understand, a customer you can reach affordably, and margi... Beginner 3 resources → How many pre-orders or sign-ups actually prove people will pay, versus just being polite interest? Clicks and "interested" DMs are free to give and mean almost nothing - the real signal is money or a firm written commitment changing hands before ... Beginner 4 resources → How do I actually find a manufacturer to make my product in India? Start with a one-page spec sheet so every factory quotes the same thing, then work three channels in parallel: B2B directories like IndiaMART and T... Beginner 5 resources → Shopify or WooCommerce for my first store in India? For a first D2C store in India, default to Shopify unless you already know WordPress cold or need heavy content/SEO customization from day one. Sho... Beginner 4 resources →
The India edge

Built for the Indian market

634 of our resources are tagged for India: GST and compliance, finding manufacturers, marketplaces and quick commerce, ONDC, RTO and COD, and cross-border export.

Questions for what you sell

Beauty & Personal Care Food & Beverage Fashion, Apparel & Accessories Wellness & Nutraceuticals Home, Kitchen & Decor Electronics, Gadgets & Appliances Baby, Kids & Toys Pet Care Category-agnostic

Questions for your situation

The Aspiring Brand Builder The Maker / Artisan The Trader Going Own-Brand The Just-Launched Founder The Marketplace Seller The Scaling Brand The Omnichannel Operator The Cross-Border Founder The Bootstrapped Side-Hustler The Product Person The Creator-Led Founder The Tier-2/3 Founder
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